October 2017 Newsletter

Nunavut Tourism held its 2016-17 Annual General Meeting this past Saturday, October 21st at the Frobisher Inn in Iqaluit. 25 Nunavut Tourism members along with staff, the Board of Directors and several speakers attended in person and by phone.

The agenda included a review of audited financial statements, the Chair’s report, the CEO’s report, and presentations from Nunavut Tourism’s Director of Membership and Director of Marketing, which provided an overview of the organization’s activities and accomplishments in 2016-17 and a look at what’s coming up in 2017-18 and beyond. Two presenters from the Department of Economic Development & Transportation, Tourism and Cultural Industries Division, provided updates on Destination Nunavut marketing activities and the new Tourism Act and Regulations.

To view or download Nunavut Tourism’s 2016-17 Annual Report, click here. Paper copies are also available upon request.
To view or download the presentations given at the AGM, click here.

Election Results

Thank you to all members who voted in our Board of Directors elections – we are very pleased to announce that we had a record voter turnout of 75%!

This year, six Board positions were up for election. Results are as follows:

Thank you to all of the nominees who participated in the election and congratulations to our newly elected Board members!

Also, a big thank you to all those who attended our Annual General Meeting. We are excited for the year ahead and could not be successful in what we do without the support of our members and our volunteer Board of Directors!

Get more likes, shares and followers on your own social media by using any or all of Destination Nunavut’s official hashtags: #DestinationNunavut, #SpiritOfTheArctic and #ArcticSpirit.

Nunavut Tourism will be monitoring and using these new hashtags along with our own hashtag – #DiscoverNU – to ensure we share as much of our members’ awesome content as possible.

Not sure how or when to use hashtags? Confused by all this social media stuff? Ask us – we’re happy to help!

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Licence Renewal Deadlines

It’s almost that time of year again! Let’s face it – nobody likes paperwork, but the deadlines for several licence and permit renewals are right around the corner. To keep your business operating smoothly without any interruptions, it’s important to submit your applications well in advance to allow enough time for processing.

Municipal Business Licences
Business licences are issued by each hamlet/municipality and renewal applications for 2018 are due no later than December 31st, 2017. Applications received later than the deadline are subject to additional fees. To obtain the application form, contact your local hamlet office. Contact information for the economic development officer in each hamlet or municipality is available here.
*Please note: A certificate of compliance from WSCC must accompany your application.

Government of Nunavut Outfitter Licence and/or Tourist Establishment Licence
Government of Nunavut Outfitter Licence and Tourist Establishment Licence renewals are also due annually by December 31st. Application forms, along with other important information such as licencing requirements and fees can be found online here.

Other
Depending on what type of business you are running, there may be other licences, permits or certifications needed to operate your business legally. These could include Wildlife Observation Licences, Hunting Licences, Parks permits, Transport Canada certifications and more. Renewal dates for these vary, and some are one-time-use permits only. Most applications require several weeks or months to process, so it’s a good idea to prepare now for what you will need to operate legally in 2018.

For a comprehensive list of licences and permits needed for tourism operations in Nunavut, check out Chapter 4 of our Business Aftercare Guide. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time.

Member News

One Ocean Expeditions Expands its Fleet!

It is One Ocean Expeditions‘ (OOE) tenth year of operation and they have some exciting news to share with you.

On July 31, 2017 OOE’s founder and CEO, Andrew Prossin, was proud to announce the expansion of OOE’s expedition cruise fleet with the addition of a new vessel – RCGS Resolute.

RCGS Resolute will join Akademik Ioffe and Akademik Sergey Vavilov under the OOE banner in November 2018. With an unsurpassed ice classification, a proven track record for stability and safety, large indoor and outdoor viewing platforms, and exceptional maneuverability, RCGS Resolute is ideally equipped to guide guests through the world’s most pristine regions, further expanding OOE’s expertise in exploration and discovery.

RCGS Resolute will carry a maximum of 146 passengers in unparalleled comfort, with the array of amenities, educational opportunities and all the well-known OOE activities tailored to particular interests, personalized service that OOE is known for.

Don’t let money be an obstacle between you and your goals for your business! There are many agencies and government departments in Nunavut that offer funding and lending programs for businesses to start up, grow and expand.

Government of Nunavut

Small Business Support Program (ED&T)
This program provides small businesses, community organizations and individuals with support to grow. Program eligibility is limited to Nunavut Residents and businesses majority-owned by Nunavut Residents.

Community Tourism & Cultural Industries Program (ED&T)
This program strengthens community infrastructure and readiness for tourism. Outfitters, tourist establishments, businesses, artist organizations, hunters and trappers organizations, artists, societies, studios or artist co-operatives and municipalities can apply for funding.

Nunavut Tourism
Members of Nunavut Tourism can apply to our Marketing Assistance Program to be reimbursed up to $1,000 at the end of each fiscal year towards the cost of marketing activities such as advertising campaigns, brochures, attendance at trade shows and more. Email us to find out more!

Regional Community Futures Groups
Each region in Nunavut has a Community Futures Group that provides loans and equity investments to small and medium-sized Nunavut businesses, along with free business counselling services.
Baffin Business Development Corporation: www.baffinbdc.ca
Keewatin Business Development Centre: kbdcgm@qiniq.com
Kitikmeot Community Futures: www.kcfi.ca

Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (NBCC)
Helping everyone from airline and hotel owners, to outfitters, retailers, artists and food producers, NBCC is working to ensure Nunavut businesses can obtain the financing they need — when they need it. NBCC provides financing up to $1,000,000 to both Inuit and non-Inuit businesses based in Nunavut.
Visit the NBCC website at www.nbcc.nu.ca for more information.

Inuit-Specific Financing Organizations
The following organizations provide grants and loans to Inuit-owned businesses in Nunavut:

Atuqtuarvik Corporation
Created by NTI, Atuqtuarvik Corporation is an investment company providing loans and equity investments between $100,000 and $3,000,000 to Inuit-owned businesses.
Visit www.atuqtuarvik.com for more information.

Kakivak Association
Kakivak Association is a community and economic development organization serving Inuit in the Qikiqtani region. Kakivak provides grants and loans to eligible Inuit businesses for pre-start up, start up and expansion activities in all sectors.
Visit www.kakivak.ca for more information.

Kivalliq Partners in Development
Kivalliq Partners in Development provides grants for eligible Kivalliq Inuit-owned businesses. KPID provides grants for pre-start-up, start up, expansion, and business relief to a maximum of $125,000.
Email kpidbusiness@netkaster.ca for more information.

Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC)

ATAC Tourism Development Funding Support Program
ATAC invites Canadian Aboriginal tourism businesses to apply for support funding for tourism product development investments designed to improve their market-ready and export-ready status. This program is intended to assist Aboriginal tourism businesses from as many of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories as possible. The funding amount for any one applicant is a maximum of $10,000.

Member Advocacy: We’re here to help.

Are you facing an issue that is making it difficult to operate a tourism business in Nunavut? Let us know about it.

One of Nunavut Tourism’s key priorities is advocacy. We are here to be a voice for our members at the community, territorial and national levels. We advocate for solutions to issues affecting our members and Nunavut’s tourism sector as a whole.

Nunavut Tourism works closely with governments, Inuit associations, communities and other agencies on initiatives that support tourism development and sustainability. We provide input in areas such as policy and legislation, licensing and permitting, infrastructure development, and much more.

We want to hear from you! The more we know about the issues affecting our members, the more effective we can be in making positive change. Give us a call or send us an email to share your concerns.

News & Updates

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